After walking hundreds of miles across Middle-Earth, Daniel and Bo finally arrive at the grandfather of all Triumphs - The Lord of the Rings.
Pretend to be shocked by Bo's tragic confession at the very beginning of the episode. Travel back to 2001 with Daniel and recall what it felt like to watch these in the theater for the first time. Listen with mouth agape while Daniel defends Boromir at the stand. Examine the call to adventure, but first, imagine the icy touch of a frothy pint on your lips as you live out many peaceful days in the Shire.
What is it about Tolkein's world that has stood the test of time for so long, that makes it so loved and adored? We think we've got it figured out.
We invite a friend to join the side of peace and hope - a side that believes that great stories exist and can be celebrated freely.
Bo, Daniel, and Mark swap stories about their experience with the rich and deep story that Respawn has woven into the great tapestry that is Star Wars. How did it feel to see the Jedi Temple? Did Tears of the Kingdom affect how quickly we got around to playing it? Which stances did we all prefer? Did you see that teaser with Mark Hamil?
While Jedi: Survivor's been out for a while now, we think it deserves remembering, and can now safely apply and be approved for Triumph status.
Discussing the triumph Blue Eye Samurai, equal parts Samurai Jack, Die Hard, Avatar the Last Airbender, Kill Bill, and Mandalorian.
Daniel wonders if Mizu is redeemable. Bo insists that she must be. Daniel applauds the animation and writing. Bo laments the long wait for season two.
In which Bo, Daniel, and guest star Anthony explore all the incredible passion and detail inside of 2023's game of the year. At over 100 hours each, the three compare their play experiences, including an in-depth comparison of their Goblin Camp strategies and Character Creator shenanigans. We manage to (mostly) avoid Act 2 and 3 spoilers due to Daniel having spent more than 40 of his 100 hours in the character creator, and the other 60 in Act 1, with 5 different characters. Anthony and Bo agree that Karlach is the superior romance option, and Bo misnomers a Deep Gnome as a Duergar, effectively ruining his relationship with all Deep Gnomes for the remainder of time.
In which Daniel and Bo absolutely gush about Miyazaki's so-called final film. Daniel points out it may be Miyazaki's most personal and authentic yet, and Bo breaks down Mahito's grieving journey. Daniel asserts the Grey Heron must be death itself (what CAN'T Edward Cullen do?) and Bo identifies Miyazaki's more subtle depictions of forgiveness and love. Daniel explains that while this is a hot entry to the Ghibli repetoire, Monoke may still hold his personal first place spot.
The episode of the podcast of the Marvel show made just for you, for all of us. Featuring our friend Noah!
The Marvel show with the best graphic design returns for a timey-wimey season 2 in which a charming british man in a fancy coat uses time magic to help save the world. Daniel compares to the classic Murray film, Noah grows his hair out, Bo grumbles softly.
Only a sith deals in absolutes, but we're sure you'll like this.
A finale, of sorts. An end, and a beginning.
Thank you 2023 for being an incredible year! In this episode, Bo and Daniel itemize their favorite Movies, Games, and TV from 2023.
Overall, Bo and Daniel share the feeling that it has been a year of strange return to the old. As streaming's newness fades, and single-player games dominate, we both feel like it's 2010 again in some ways.
Daniel gushes about Baldur's Gate 3, Bo confesses his love for Starfield, and more.
Did our predictions come true?!
Jump into the Filoni-verse with Daniel and Bo to explore what makes Ahsoka special.
We'll be breaking down the entire season, recorded the day after the finale premiered.
Funny enough, discussing the Ahsoka finale is also the TRIUMPH! Season One finale! Thanks for enjoying the show and stay tuned for more from Triumph!
In which Daniel and Bo gush about one of the greatest (superhero) films ever made.
How are the heroes and villains connected? Is the insurance company behind everything? Isn't it sort of gruesome that Syndrome just dies and they all move on?
Does everything Brad Bird touches turn to gold? (eh!)
It's 2008 and Rockstar Games dares to ask: is the American Dream even real? Does money matter, really? How many rocket launchers can fit into the trunk of a shady van? Reminisce about this Certified Triumph! from the 7th generation of console gaming, and decide if they delivered on the true promise of video games: to be fully immersed in a world not your own. Thrown off the Platypus and onto the streets of Liberty City, Niko Bellic falls fast into a criminal life, and the player comes along for the ride. Daniel and Bo compare their first play experiences. Niko chimes in to critique our jokes. Jason Sudeikis is Richard Bastion?!?
The moment we've all been waiting for. Our canon janitor Dave Filoni has arrived, and Daniel and I cross swords about what he's done, Empire style. Questions asked include: Did Dave Filoni play Fallen Order? Should heroes build big ships? Are lightsabers heavy? Do Hera and Sabine work in live-action? Are stories math? Does Sabine really have to be force sensitive?
We can't wait for more Ahsoka.
On this special bonus episode of Triumph, our good friends Anthony and Noah join us to discuss the upcoming Ahsoka premiere.
We pick our favorite lightsabers, compare and contrast our first impressions of Ahsoka, and discuss what makes Rebels great.
We debate which animated characters have best translated to live-action so far, and we enthuse about what makes Ahsoka so great as a Star Wars character.
We put on our tin foil hats, discuss the Hot Tub Time Machine and other models of time travel, and realize that "they fly now!"
We explore how Star Wars rhymes, visualize Dave Filoni as Executive Janitor, and wonder how weird Filoni will get...
Including a Tears of the Kingdom recap with Bo's 10 year old nephew, Ruben! (27:12)
Bo and Daniel begin by introducing themselves in 3 starships.
Bo provides some background on Akira, an anime legend that influenced a whole world of cyberpunk that came after it.
Daniel, having just watched it for the first time, shares his first impressions.
We identify connections and other influences, and share the parts we loved.
We conclude with more Akira thoughts, and debate whether or not to participate in the global phenomenon that is Barben-heimer.
We share our Mass Effect play-through experiences, and gush about the incredible story and characters that BioWare put together.
SPOILER ALERT FOR HOMER'S ODYSSEY! (You've had hundreds of years, it's too late.)
Daniel starts us off with some key historical context: the capabilities and promises of the Xbox 360 and PS3 era.
Bo explains it was Daniel who convinced him to play these games, by explaining the key story innovation: choices made in one game carry over into the subsequent titles.
We explore how it compares to other sci-fi franchises, and we critique the relatively unimportant combat archetypes.
We also break down some official BioWare statistics on Legendary Edition play-throughs, and draw conclusions from the data.
We pick our favorite characters from the games, and enthuse about how BioWare interconnects their ensemble, regardless of how/when you interact with them.
At the end, Bo shares a personal note on how the game impacted him, at the time in his life when he played it,
and Daniel pitches you on why you should try the games now!